A stream of solar wind flowing from this minor coronal hole should reach Earth on July 9-10. (Credit: SDO/AIA)

(CBS SF) — A massive solar flare flooded the sunlit portion of the planet Tuesday morning with X-rays powerful enough to disrupt GPS navigation, and airplane and maritime communication for several minutes.

The “M-Class” flare is the second most powerful on the scale, with the Tuesday cosmic event registering an M6.5 on the power scale.

There remains a 70 percent chance of more M-class flares, and a 15 percent chance of even more disruptive X-class flares Tuesday.

A solar flare is an explosion where twisted magnetic fields let loose their energy from the surface of the sun. These are often above sunspots large enough to swallow the entire Earth. The flares contain X-rays, gamma rays, and other electromagnetic radiation, capable of producing various effects on the skies and technology on earth.

They are classified as X-Class, or very big flares that can plunge the entire planet into radio blackouts. The next class is M-class, which are medium-sized, and primarily affect radio communication around the poles. s here on Earth.